Material carrier



J. w. SCOTT 1,785,982 MATERIAL CARRIER Filed Oct. 26, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 235 1930.

Dec. 23, 1930. J. w. scoTT MATERIAL CARRIER Filed Oct. 26, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lu/vento@ fu. @A

Dec. 23, 1930. J. w. SCOTT 1,785,982

MATERIAL CARRIER Filed 00h26, 192e" s sheets-sheet s @I 111+. f1. Figa.

)I l .T55 la Patented Dec. 23, 1930 PATENT' OFFICE JOHN WILL'IAM'SCOTT, OF BISB'EE, ARIZONA Iv'IATERIAL CARRIER Application led. October 26, 1926. Serial No. 144,273.

This invention relates to material handling, and has for its principal object the provision of a material carrier, preferably of the Wheeled or car type, adapted for the transportation of material Without intermediate loading betvveen the Vsupply point and the point of destination, Where the travel of the carrier from one of said points. to the other involves inclined and even vertical transportation, as well as horizontal transportation or transportation along an approximately horizontal path at the ground level, at a subterranean level (as, for instance, in mining operations), or at any other level.

Thus an important object of the invention, especially when carried out in connection with underground workings, is to provide a truck or car so constructed and equipped that the same may be loaded at the surface or at a station underground, then swung vertically into a cage in a hoistvvay or Well, then uncaged at a different level from the loading level, and Athen run along at the last-mentioned level to the point Where the timber or other material is needed and there unloaded for the first time, so as completely to do away with the handling and rehandling of material to and from trucks and cages or the like as heretofore. Y

Another object is to provide a material handling truck or car as above described, and one which may, When desired, run on tracks laid at a particular level, and clear away from and alight uponsaid tracks incident to delivery to discharge from a cage or other elevating means; all Without the aid of more than one attendant, and Without imposing en such attendant other than series of easily and quickly performedand comparatively light tasks. Y

Another object is to provide a material handling truck or car for permitting vertical, inclined and horizontal transportation of material Without intermediate loading,

which may be transferred from a horizontal line of travel to a vertical one, or vice versa, primarily by the power available at the hoistcage or other elevating means employed for Athe vertical path of travel, and at the same time Without dragging or other damage to or appreciable frictional resistance from either end of the truck or ear.

Another object is to provide a material handling truck or car operable as and with the advantages just described, and which, for maximum load capacity, may have a flat bottom from end to end, be of considerable length, and at the same time be adapted for movement around fairly sharp corners or at fairly sharp rail `curves in narrow passages at a particular level, due to a then functioning Wheel sufficiently near to the middle of the car.

Another objectis to provide a material handling truck or car for transport as one unit with its load, according tothe invention broadly, and which has a load-housing superstructure above its ruiming gear of great strength and rigidity, of considerable lightness, and of Wide adjustability in regard to loads of various kinds, as to kinds of material loaded as Well as to the magnitude of any particular load.

Another object is to provide a material handling truck or car for transport as one unit with its load, according to the invention broadly, and which has a load-housing superstructure including a readilyV adj ustable means for retaining against shift a short load While maintaining the center of gravity of car and load a such point as always naturally to facilitate utilization of the power available at the hoistway to transfer the car and its load to and from said hoistway.

Various other objects and advantages ol 'the invention will be specifically pointed-out or apparent hereinafter, in the course of a description of a preferred one of the various possible forms of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings; it being uncerstood, of course, that such is merely illustrative of one combination and arrangement of parts calculated to obtain the objects of the invention, pursuant to present preference, andlhence the detailed description of such form now to be given is not to be taken as at all defining or limiting the invention itself. rlhat is to say, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is Uil Fic'. 2 shows said car in side elevation;

Fifi'. 3 shows the car in end elevation, taeing the trail-end;

Fig. el is a similar view, facing the leadend;

fragmentary detail Fig. is an enlarged lpi'noxiniaiely on the view, being a section z line .Ti-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. (i is a siniila r delj ward the right in Fig'. 5;

T shows the ear durin deliveryr to a hoistway or elevator, with the cars lead-end chain-supported from an upper part oi' aV partiallyv elevated shalt-cage and with the cars trail-end ready to swingT into the lower part ot such cage on a further slight rise thereof: and

Fig. 8 shows the cage moved slightly higher than as shown in Fig. 7, and the car swung` completely into the same to hang` vertically therein.

The car of course may be of any desired site or load capacity, accordingl to the special requirements ot the erecting, wrecking, routing, miningY or other materiril-handling situation, ont naturally due regard will be had to the dimensions of the hoistway or elevatorwell and ot its cage, conveyor chains or the ike ior moving` freight np and down the well, it' a well ancL cage alreadj-,f installed are to he employed pursuant to the invention, and it' the tip-ending and suspension means i2' r the car are like those shown in the draw- As will be understood troni what has already been sa'd, the new car is designed to travel toward or away from a hoistway at a particular level, as well as 'or travel np or down in such hoistway. to transfer the car and its load as one unit from one level to another.

To these ends, the car includes, in the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 to (3, a set of main wheels 10, here illustrated as track wheels arranged in two pairs on two axles 11 located near the middle of the car; a pair olf smaller wheels 12, on an axle 13, slightly elevated, at the trail-end of the ear; and a. pair of swing-rines 14, near the top of the ear and at the lead-end thereof. The main wheels 10, forming with the axle-journals 1 5 parts of a truck 1G, support the car for movement as an ordinary wheeled ar or as one oi a train of several cars. The new car, however, may be readily raised at its leadend, as by means of the rings 14. The car is thus raised when these rings are pulled up by suitable hoisting` chains or the like, such as the pair of parallelly suspended and swinging chains 1'? of Figs. 7 and 8, anchored at their upper ends to the upper part or root 18a of a hoisting cage 1S, and engage-d by way of hooks 17 at their lower ends with the rings 111 on the car. Due to the dispositions of the upper ends of the chains 17 in the cage 18, and due to the dispositions of the rings 14 on the car, relative to the center olf gravity of the car or of the car and a load ol material secured thereon, the car may be readily raised so high at its lead-end, merely by hoisting properly the cage 1S, that the tra il-end ot' the car can swingfully into the cage in said inanncr that the entire lar will naturally tend to hang truly vertical and thus be disposed in a cage having inside dimensions very slightly lgreater than the over-all dimensions ot the tully loaded car. The smaller wheels 123. hereinatter called the loading and unloading wheels, come into play, at the level at which the car is being` loaded onto or unloaded from the cage or other hoisting means in trie hoistway, while the car is finally swinging toward the vertical, in the hoistway or is being` first swung toward the horizontal from the hoistway. Examine F ig. 7 in this connection; the wheels 12 have been for some past upward travel of the cage 18 in rolling contact with the loading,r level 20. The advantage of disposing the wheels 12 as shown, is that these wheels make rolling contact with the level 20 as soon as the lead-end of the car is lifted snilciently by the rising cage to rock the car slightly about the rear axle 11 (the lower axle 11 of Fig. 7 In other words, with the lastmentioned axle fairly close to the middle ot the ear, as is desirable in provi ding an equipment of wheels 10 for permitting` the car to turn sharp corners whenever required duri ng normal movement on a particular level. the car bottom at the trail-end thereof, especiallyv it' made tlat for maximum load capacity, would be unprotected against dragging and scraping during,r a large part ot the 11p-ending oit the car, were there not present the auxiliary wheels 12 or an equivalent. Similarly, the trouble would be even more serious, during; outswinging,r of the trail-end oit' the car in transferring the car and its load 'from the hoistway to a delivery level.

lilith the loading and unloading wheels lf2 present. however, a transfer of the ea r and its freight to the hoistway at any level` ni'hether such hoisting be inclined, or vertical as illustrated, is easy and quick, being,r practically automatic, when the cage or other conveyor-means in the hoistway is properly manipulated; while a transfer ot the car and its freight from the hoistway to any level is equally quick and easy, even in a vertical hoistway, once an attendant has swung the lower end of the car outward to engage the w ieels 12 with the delivery level during slow end of the car, this angle-piece 43 having its bottom flange riveted to rear floor plate 24; a roof-plate ile, riveted at its rear under edge portion to an angle-piece (Fig. 3) to which the upper forward edge portion ol. back-plate 42 is riveted; angle-pieces at opposite sides ot the car riveted to the side under edge por` tions of the root-plate del, and having depending tlanges, such as the one indicated at i6 in Fig. 2; vertical. angle-pieces aloe, similar to the angle-pieces 35a of the forward superstructure unit, riveted to the back-plate 42; top and bottom gusset-plates llO, corresponding to the gusset-plates Ll() ot' the for- 7ard superstructure unit, and riveted to the various overlapping angle-pieces as clearly shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3; toi stitl n1er-strips 47 riveted onto root-plate lll; and vertical slats 4.8 at opposite sides ot the car riveted at their upper and lower ends to angle-pieces i6 and 2l.

Angle-pieces ll, consti uting inclined struts at opposite sides ot the car, and corresponding in function to the angle-pieces 4l of the front superstructure unit, are riveted at their tops to the upper gusset plates 40 and at their lower ends to the upstandina` vertical flanges of side-angle pieces 2l.

At opposite sides of the car` nandles t9 are riveted in place as shown, so that the rivet at the lower end of each of said handles also locks one ot the slats t8 on the saine side ot the car to the intersecting strut angle-piece lll. Ateach side' ot' the car, also, the other slat i8 is riveted to the strut angle-piece as indicated at 50 in Fig. 2.

Handles 49 are used by one or more attendants in guiding the car as it is being loaded onto or unloaded from the elevating device. as the cage 1S shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Various means for retaining the load on the car may be provided. For merely a plurality ot long` rods, pipe, timbers or the like, up to an aggregate such that portions ot' all the pieces ot the load could be protruded through cutout 35a in front plate 35 while the opposite end portions ot said pieces are tucked in under root plate 4:4 ot the trail-end superstructure unit, thc car so far described would act satisfactorily pursuant to the invention.

rl'he invention also aims, however, to provide a superstructure tor the car so constructed that considerably shorter pieces of material may be handled, either alone or in combination with longer pieces; as well also as a superstructure so constituted that whatever be the character ot the load, the same may be retained at a plurality of points along the length of the car and thus all load components securely held down, however heterogeneous be the pieces composing the load. To these ends l prefer to arrange along` the length of the car a plurality of pairs ot side standards and retaining bars for the tops of such standards, one bar for each pair of stand ards. Two of such pairs of standards are indicated in the drawings, at 5l, and the two retaining bars at 52.

In the present case, each of these retaining means 5l, 52, and now see Figs. 5 and G well as Figs. l and 2, is constructed as follows: Each standard 51 is pivotally mounted at its bottom at one side of the car, on a pin 53 set in angle-piece 2l and in a box 54 on said angle-piece, so that said standard may be swung down, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2, to lie outside the loading chamber delined by the skeleton trame-work, or arranged as shown in said Fig. 2, before or during the course of loading such chamber. In order to provide means for locking a standard thus upright, each standard at its bottom carries an ofl'set portion or foot 51a., provided with a through aperture which when the standard is upright is vertically disposed Jfor the reception of a drop-pin 5V. When a standard is to be lowered as shown in dot and dash lines in F ig. 6, this pin may be lifted clear of box 54s. In order to avoid loss of the pin, the same is carried on a chain the terminal links of which are indicated at 56 in Fig. 6. As shown best in Fig. 5, each standard is provided with a series of bolt holes 57, so that the retaining bar 52 for that pair of standards may be secured in place to the standards at the proper height to bear down tightly on top of the load. Eye-bolts 58, which may coact with forks as indicated at 59a in Fig. 2, are employed 'for securing the bars 52 to the standards 51 when the former are properly adjusted on the latter. lt will ot' course be understood that it is desirable that the bars 52 be disconnected from the standards when the latter are swung down as indicated by dot-and-dash line in Fig. 2, so as not to reduce in any way the load capacity of the car.

The invention further provides, as a preterably present feature, a. means for retaining and supporting a heavy load of shor; maid rial in such a position in the loading chamber ot the car that the center ot gravity of the entire load will be at the proper point to facilitate transferring the car to or troni an inclined or vertical hoistv-.'ay, say while pending the car troni the rings 14; by the chains l z `shown in Figs. 7 and fi. ln the praz-sent case a very simple addition to the superstructure is shown. for attaining this object. finch means com prises a Ushapcd i=:iss-pla lo or abun'ient member 5f) (see Figs. l and having' portions (not shown) near bottoni as soon in Fig. 2 crimped or curled about pivot pins (if) set in brackets Gl at oppos sides of the car. Thus the element 5i) arrano'ed nav g shown in full lines in swung down as indicated by .ot and das i curve 59 ot the latter view. it will be seen from Fig. l that the shape ot this element is such that when it is thus swung izo downward it does not aect the load capacity of the car relative to a long load. However, when said element 59 is arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and Q, in which disposition it may be locked by applying the eye bolts and wing nuts clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a short load may be placed on the car, with its rear limit at said element 59, and then one or both ofthe sets of standards 51 and retaining bars may be applied as above to hold the short load against shift.

Referring finally to Figs. and 8, in which views it will be noted that the car is shown more or less diagrammatically, there is disclosed a. means particularly adapted for use in a cage in a vertical hoistway, for engaging and latch-locking the car along a line substanti ally diagonally opposite the line of lsuspension rings 14, after the car has naturally assumed or been forced to assume .a vertical suspension within the cage. This means is fully described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 144,274, filed October Q6, 1926, now Patent No. 1,697,824 of January 1, 1929. Brieiy described, the vsame includes one or more inclined ybars 62 carrying one or more notches 62a for engaging axle 13 or a similarly located `element of the car; the ramp feature 626 being preferably present so that as the car swings in from the location shown in Fig. 7 toward the location shown in 8, the bar lwill be depressed by such axle against the expansible spring or springs 68 and thus cause a. notch 62a to be snapped about said axle when the car becomes disposed as shown in Fig. 8. When the cage arrives at the delivery level, the lowei1 end of the car may be detached from the bar 62 by depressing a pedal 66 pivoted at 67 and carrying an integral arm 68 connected by a link 69 to a bell-crank lever 70 pivoted at 71. Depression of the pedal 66 rocks said lever to actuate a pull rod T2 to swing down bar 62 against the compression of the spring or springs 63.

1f desired, the car may also be held in vertical position, during ascentor descent of the cage A155, by dropping down across the front ofthe lower portion of the cage a retaining bar 64 pivoted to one side of the cage and adaptedto be dropped into a. suitable keeper on the other side of the cage. Such a bar is familiar in the art of elevating; a pivotal mountof the kind just referred. to being indicated in Fig. 8 at 65.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description orV shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lt is also to be understood that the language contained in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention. herein described and all statements of the scope `of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A car for handling material comprising a body, two axles secured below the body, each axle `being nearer the middle than an end of the car, a plurality of rolling wheels on each axle, for normally supporting the car in horizontal position, a third axle secured near one end ofthe car, said ythird axle being mounted in lixed relation to the body, a plurality of rolling tilting wheels concentrically mounted on the third axle, the parts being so arranged that the rolling wheels on the tiret-mentioned two axlesextend a greater distance from the body than the tilt-ing wheels on the third axle, the peripheriesof said tilting wheels extending below the end of the car.

2. A car for handlin 0' material comprising a body, two pairs of ruiming wheels mounted nea the middle of the body for carrying the bodyv along a horizontal support, a pair of tilting wheels near one end of the'body, the tilting wheels being out of contact with the horizontal support Vwhen the car is riding on Vthe running wheels, and the peripheries of said tilting wheels extending rearwardly and downwardly beyond the end of the car to rollingly supportthe car when the opposite end is being elevated. y

A car for handling material, comprising a framework for carrying the material, a plurality of running wheels for carrying the bodyV along a 'horizontal support, means carried at thelead-end of the car for detachably connecting that end of the car to elevating means, and a pair of tilting wheels extending below the `framework at the trail end of the car, said tilting wheels `being normally out of Contact with 'a horizontal support when-the car is moving thereovenbut "being adaptedto rolling'ly support the car when the'lead end is vbein g elevated.

t. VA car -for handling material, comprising a body, wheels supporting the body, means carried at the lead end of the car for detachably connecting that end of the car to elevating means, a pair of tilting wheels extending below theframework atthe trail end of thecar, said tilt-ing wheels being normallyout of contact with a horizontal support when the car ismoving thereover, but being adapted to rollingly support the car when the lead end is beine elevated and a Jair of handles secured to the trail end of thecar to guidethe body in its tilting movements.

5. A car of the kind described comprising a plurality of wheels nearer `the middle than an end of the car, a wheel toward thetrail- 4end of #the car, and means carried `near the lead-end of the car for detachably connecting lili) that end of the car to elevating means in a hoistivauv.

6. A car for handling material at and between different levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, superstructure for holding material While the car is Wheeled on said truck and While the car is rip-ended ior transport along a hoistway, and means carried b v the superstructure at an elevated point thereon near the lead-end of the car for connecting that end of the car to elevating means in a hoistivay, said car also having a trailer wheeledtruck for rollingly supporting the trail-end oi: the car when the latter is 11p-ended at its lead-end on actuating said elevating means.

'2'. A car 'for handling material at and between ditlerent levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, a superstructure for holding material While lthe car is wheeled on said truck and while the car is up-ended for transport along a hoistway, and means carried by the superstructure at an elevated point thereon near the lead-end oi'A vthe car ttor connecting that end et the car to elevating means in a hoistway, said car also havingl a trailer naeeledtruck including a Wheel at a higher level than the Wheels or" the ilrst mentioned trucl: when the car is substantiall;7 horizontal, said wheel being then less elevated than said point.

8. fr car for handling material at and lietween di'll'lerent levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, a superstructure for holding material While the car is Wheeled on said truck and while the car is up-ended for transport along a hoistivay, said superstructure including a permanent superstructure uni*L at one point along the length ot the car, said unit including a structure for holding material as aforesaid and a collapsible superstructure unit at another point along the length ot the car, and means for detachably connecting the car to an elevating means in said hoist-Way to cause up-ending ot the lead-end of the car when said elevating means is actuated.

9. A car for handling material at and between difierent levels, comprising a wheeled truck, and a superstructure for holding mate rial While the car is Wheeled on said truck and while the car is up-ended for transport along a hoistivay, said superstructure including a permanent superstructure unit forming an upright transverse frame presenting a cut out opening near the lead-end ot the car.

l0. A car for handling material at and between different levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, and a superstructure for holding material While the car is Wheeled on said truck and while the ear is up-ended tor transport along a lioistway, said superstructure including a permanent superstructure unit at the. trailend ot the car having side members and a roof or bridge member.

11. A car for handling material at and betvreen different levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, and a superstructure for holding material While the car is Wheeled on said truck and While the car is up-ended for transport along a hoistivay, said superstructure including a permanent superstructure unit near the trailend of the ear forming a roofed-over com partment having a forward opening substantialliT as large as the cross section ot the compartment.

l2. A car for handling material at and be tvveen dilterent levels, comprising a nf'heeled truck, and a superstructure for holding material. While the oar is wheeled on said truck and while the car is 11p-ended for transport along a hoistway, said superstructure including a permanent superstructure unit at one pointalong the length of the far and a collapsible superstructure unit at another point along the length of the car, thc last mentioned unit being collapsible on the car Without affecting the maximum load capacity of the car.

13. A car tor handling material at and betu'eenditlierent levels, comprising a Wheeled truck, a superstructure for holding material .vhile the car is wieeled on said truck and While the car is up-ended ior transport along a hoistivay, and a plurality oi: means at dit'- ierent levels near the lead-end of the car 'tor selective connection to a traction means operating at a particular level or to a traction means operating` between di'ferent levels.

ln testimonv whereof I atlix my signature.

.toi-IN Winrar/in SCOTT. 

